Experiments on the computer, new medications in no time: The artificial intelligence Alpha Fold is revolutionizing life sciences. Physicist Alexander Schug explains where skepticism is appropriate.
The cells of the human body are full of molecular machines: pumps and copy machines, monitors, regulators and signal transmitters, and small power plants are also included. Each cell type has its own makeup, which is determined by the genetic program that is active in the respective tissue. Anyone who knows what the machinery of life looks like and how it works can also repair things if something goes wrong, as is the case with some diseases. In the journal Nature A new version of the AI Alpha Fold has now been presented, which should be able to simulate the interaction of several biomolecules. Alexander Schug, an expert in biomolecular simulation at the Jülich Research Center, knows the software’s predecessors. A conversation about the capabilities of AI, how far the results can be trusted, and why it is a problem if the manufacturer keeps the program code secret.